


Perfect wasn't the reason

by Lianna_Donuts



Series: ItaTsumu Week 2021 [2]
Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Admiration, Fluff, Hidden Feelings, M/M, No Beta, No Beta We Die Like August, idk what I'm doing but I'm trying to follow the prompt, somewhat head canon I guess?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-24 00:47:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30064089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lianna_Donuts/pseuds/Lianna_Donuts
Summary: A little manga reading and he already let his words slip. What was going to happen if his feelings couldn't be held back anymore? Such an outcome he wasn't exactly looking forward too.But why does he like him so much? There was a reason wasn't it?Ah yesHe was there and never saw him as anything else but who he was, not perfect nor admirable, just him.For now, he can let his feelings flutter along his heart and watch Tsumugi smile.Day 2 for ItaTsumu week! Prompt I chose is: Admiration and Perfect
Relationships: Chigasaki Itaru/Tsukioka Tsumugi
Series: ItaTsumu Week 2021 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2198976
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	Perfect wasn't the reason

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy this rushed one since I am late for a week and well, might as well extend ittsm week-
> 
> ItaTsumu week 2021: Day 2 - Admiration and Perfect

I love you  
  
  
  
  
  
The main character confessed and the chapter ended there.   
  
What a cliffhanger, Itaru sighs as he sits up from where he read the book. He closes the manga held in his hand.   
  
“You’re already done Itaru-san?” The curiosity and excitement seeped in the voice of the shoujo manga enthusiast of Mankai.   
  
“Yeah, the cliffhanger was such a bummer but it's not a pretty bad story all in all.” He passes the manga to Muku, after Muku goes to his shelf to get the next volume, the gamer checks his phone for updates.   
  
Damn, SP’s full, gotta use it, he thinks.   
  
Muku comes back to the table with the next volume in hand but sees the gamer busy with a game and decides to leave it nearby him instead. The boy knows one thing and it's not to disturb the man when he’s in a game.   
  
‘Though I wanted to ask Itaru something and he thinks this may be the right opportunity? But what if he thinks I’m annoying him from his game, to be looked at as an annoyance by Itaru-san would make him feel horrible.’ Muku’s mind goes into a spiral of anxiety.   
  
Itaru, with the game on autopilot, glances at Muku at seeing him in a state of self-deprecation, decides to speak up.   
  
“Do you like this one a lot Muku?” This seems to snap Muku back to reality as he immediately scrambles for an answer.   
  
“Eh?! Ah- Y-yeah! It has a really nice pace for the characters and they keep some moments for the side characters to also grow along the main cast. Even though it’s slice-of-life, they still make each chapter feel important along with bits of comedy and compelling character development.” He holds it close with such a look of awe and satisfaction, Itaru getting the idea that it's a shoujo manga he really loves then.   
  
“Yeah, some of them can be pretty relatable too and it’s nice to see yourself in some of them” Itaru adds on with the commentary, he is looking forward to the next volume on that cliffhanger. Though he isn’t gaming on a weekend, he promised to read manga with Muku for this weekend and he hasn’t been reading some in a while so it was nice to have a change of pace sometimes.   
  
Or well, he can always end up going back to his room and pull another all nighter-   
  
“Relatable?” Muku asks curiously, Itaru realizes what he just said a few minutes ago.   
  
Oh crud, did he just let that slip I-   
  
“I mean-”   
  
“Ah- It’s okay if Itaru’san doesn’t want to explain it”   
  
“No, it’s alright, I don’t mind sharing some of it…” He sees Muku close his manga immediately and looks at Itaru with eyes of anticipation, listening to whatever person has caught the princely character he looks up to.   
  
Itaru does another sigh, you don’t have to get all detailed and he knows Muku can keep a secret of course, but it still felt a bit embarrassing to talk about it.   
  
His little crush on the winter troupe leader.   
  
“I like that character who also had to hide his feeling for the other one, knowing that he may not get a yes because they see their crush having someone so much better for them...in a way”   
  
Muku’s eyes lit up even more   
  
“I-Itaru-san feels that way?!”   
  
“Uh...yeah…”   
  
“Uwahhh...I never knew!” If it were possibly to have sparkles appear in real life then that definitely is what Itaru’s seeing from what Muku is looking like right now.   
  
“But...you think they’re better with someone else than you…?” Muku looked at him with curiosity and a slight hint of worry.  
  
Itaru simply lets out a chuckle, because honestly, he simply doesn’t think he’s enough.   
  
“I just think, there’s someone better for them…”   
  
“But Itaru-san is amazing! And maybe even perfect too! I don’t see why someone wouldn’t like to be with you!” That flattered him really, Muku always complimented in pure genuine kindness, which really makes him think that Muku could be the prince he wants to be.    
  
  
  
Because Itaru doesn’t think he is perfect, he’s far from that.   
  
  
  
He’s a mess, too many baggage and unstable habits, messy thoughts and items, escapism through games. Though he is getting better with the years passing by Mankai and his habits also have improved, even learning to trust people along the way.   
  
  
  
But he wasn’t the princely business man he was. Nor the hardcore gamer who whales his money for that top place. He just felt incomplete, lacking the motivation for a bigger dream, closed away from people because he was already broken once.   
  
  
  
He was who is, Mankai taught him that Spring Troupe showed him it was okay, to hold your trust on people and to learn to be okay with what you are and who you are.   
  
And not even that but everyone else, the enjoyment and energy of Summer Troupe, all those training with Autumn Troupe, and the maturity and understanding with Winter Troupe, they all accepted him.   
  
  
  
  
  
“I’m far from perfect really, but I just think they deserve someone better.”   
  
“That’s so cool of Itaru-san! That’s why I think you’re amazing!”   
  
Itaru gives Muku a pat in the head after that and thanks him for it a lot, it was nice to have someone who genuinely looked up to you without expectation. It felt that the tinge of being an adult has its perks.   
  
Itaru soon checks his game with his sp all used and goes back continuing their manga reading session.   
  
  
  
A few hours passed and Itaru left the room when it was quite late already and Kazunari came back too, and started working on his assignment due soon. Not wanting to disturb him, he tells Muku he’ll come back next weekend to continue the series.   
  
“Itaru-san?” Closing room 202, he looks to the side and sees Tsumugi with a potted plant in his hands   
  
“Oh, were you reading with Muku today?” Itaru fumbles a response   
  
“Yeah, it was a great series he recommended, would recommend honestly.” And that small little chuckle Tsumugi lets out makes his heart flutter.   
  
“I’ll ask it for him when I get the time then”   
  
“Good Choice”   
  
“Would you like some tea then? Homare recommended me a brew he bought recently…” They both get downstairs and walk their way to the kitchen. Itaru not breaking his attention with the bluenette walking alongside him.   
  
  
  
And Maybe he could listen to Tsumugi talk about anything for hours, because it was Tsumugi, and the winter troupe leader seemed to have caught his admiration unbeknownst of everything. The sudden shift of the route in the pursuing of the winter troupe leader activated out of nowhere really.   
  
But I guess there were reasons why, but one thing he knows for sure is that Tsumugi doesn’t see him as someone perfect.   
  
He sees him as who he was the beginning they met and even went along with his childish etudes and acts, matching his vibe seemingly without effort.   
  
And Tsumugi never asked him about his past or who he was or what he needed to do as someone of his age, he talked to him about anything and even gave little advice that helped along the way.   
  
These feelings of admiration buried in his heart were proof of it. It grows every day and he fears that it may bloom into something he can’t hide anymore.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
But for now, he can admire him with the little distance there is.   
  
  



End file.
